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With interest rates low, now is the time to buy a fixer-upper or rental home if you are confident about the stability of your present job. There’s a lot of opportunity to win big in the market when the economy turns around.

Once you select your target home and complete the purchase, you’ll want to work on making improvements which add to the value of the home and bring aesthetics up to a state which will appeal to a class of buyers within your target price range.

Kitchens and baths are two places to invest some remodeling dollars. Those shopping for houses want a tasteful, modern look – not avocado green. Countertops are relatively inexpensive to replace, and laminate is much more warm and realistic-looking than it was ten years ago. Consider spending some time to clean wooden cupboards thoroughly with an oil-based soap to remove grime and replace knobs and drawer pulls for a fresh look. The sink may be another place to invest some money, as sinks can easily show wear, grime buildup and scratches which make them look old.

When you move on to the bathroom, consider re-caulking around the tub and toilet areas. Over time these areas darken with age and can show mold or mildew. Light colors look good in small spaces like bathrooms, so take a look at your paint while you consider swapping out the light bulbs to something with a bright white cast.

It is a fact that the success of recycling is of utmost importance to our society and to make it really work, everyone needs to participate and do their bit. With kerbside recycling schemes being rolled-out across the UK, we are all becoming more aware of the need to partake in the three ‘R’s: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

When buying new living room furniture, whether it is cheap or expensive, the wood needs to come from somewhere and more likely than not it has to be shipped. Which not only increases our carbon footprint through transportation and declining trees to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen but also contributes to environmental problems caused by the effects of deforestation.

So then what do we do with the old furniture? We throw it out of course!

Mountains of waste are being dumped in landfills every year. Though we are all pretty well educated in the processes of recycling small items like aluminum, glass, and paper, how many of us realize just how easy it is to recycle larger items – like a sofa or armchair.

Of course not everyone is wholly concerned with environmental issues, cost can also be a contributing factor.

Many of us would like to change our homes the same way we change our seasonal wardrobes, but few of us can actually afford to. A recent survey (Carried out by Koan Ltd) to cast light on people’s interior tastes revealed that 60% of people could only afford to redecorate their homes every 2-5 years, even though the same percentage said that their tastes actually changed from year to year.

Luckily now, not only is there a more affordable, stylish and easy solution to instantly change the look of your home, but there is an environmentally friendly one too, enabling you to ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’. Rather than spending a fortune on this season’s fleetingly fashionable designs, or putting up with a shameful suite, you can give your piece of furniture a stunning new look using a unique service: Made-to-Measure Furniture Covers.